Pattern card mechanism for a dobby



Aug. 27, 1 6 E. PFARRWALLER PATTERN CARD MECHANISM FOR A DOBBY 3Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 1, 1961 Jaye/7X02.- EP W/N Pr ze/2 WALL 52.

Allg- 1963 E. PFARRWALLER 3,101,749

PATTERN CARD MECHANISM FOR A DOBBY Filed Feb. 1, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2fnverrzan' EPW/N PF'APPWALL E19.

HZ alway- Aug. 27, 1963 E. PFARRWALLER PATTERN CARD MECHANISM FOR ADOBBY 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 1, 1961 United States Patent OfiicePatented Aug. 27, 1963 PATTERN CARD MECHANISM FOR A BOBBY ErwinPfarrwaller, Winterthur, Switzerland, assignor to dulzer Frcres, S.A.,Winterthur, Switzerland, a corporation of Switzerland Filed Feb. 1,1961, Ser. No. 86,487 Claims priority, application Switzerland Feb. 12,196i) 6 Claims. (Cl. 139-329) The present invention relates to a dobbyfor actuating heddle frames in a Weaving machine which dobby iscontrolled by a pattern card having perforations adapted to be scannedby feeler needles. The invention relates more particularly to amechanism for advancing the pattern card by stepwise rotation of a cardcylinder, including means for swinging the card cylinder out of the wayof the feeler needles to permit rotation of the cylinder and forswinging the card cylinder towards the needles for affording scanning ofthe perforations in the pattern card by the feeler needles.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a mechanism foradvancing the pattern card controlling the operation of a dobby foractuating the heddle frames of a weaving machine and means for movingthe pattern card cylinder to a position permitting stepwise rotation ofthe card cylinder for advancing the pattern card and to a positionpermitting feeler needles to scan the holes in the pattern card wherebythe row of holes which is on top of the card cylinder and ready to bescanned performs a translatory or compensating movement with the cardcylinder upon lowering and lifting :of the latter so that the holes inthe pattern card can be made less wide and the rows of holes can beplaced closer together whereby the pattern card can be made shorter thanis possible with mechanisms having no provisions for effecting atranslatory movement of the card cylinder.

In the mechanism according to the invention the card cylinder is carriedby a support which is swingable on a stationary fulcrum and compensatingmeans are provided having a parallelogram motion effect whereby swingingof the support produces rotation of the card cylinder through an anglewhich is equal to the swing angle of the support, the direction of saidrotation of the card cylinder being opposite to the swing direction ofthe support. This effect need not be produced during the entire swingingof the support but may be restricted to the movement of the cardcylinder between the position where the pattern card can be scanned bythe feeler needles and the position where the card cylinder is out :ofreach of the feeler needles.

The novel features which are considered characteristic of the inventionare set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The inventionitself, however, and additional objects and advantages thereof will bestbe understood from the following description of embodiments thereof whenread in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic part sectional elevation of a portion of aweaving machine and of a pattern-card-controlled dobby for controllingthe movement of the heddle frames connected thereto.

PH. 2 is a large scale part sectional elevation of thepattern-oard-responsive mechanism of the dobby.

FIG. 3 is a part sectional elevation of a mechanism for advancing thepattern card and positioning the pattern card cylinder.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the mechanism shown in FIG. 3 in rolledout representation, the section being taken along line lV-IV of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing themovements of the heddle frames, of themechanism for actuating the heddle frames, and of the mechanism foradvancing the pattern card.

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic illustnation showing the angular movements of apart of a mechanism according to the invention.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a modification of a mechanism according to theinvention.

FIG. 7 is an elevation of the mechanism shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is an elevation of afurther modification of a mechanism accordingto the invention.

Referring more particularly to FIG. 1 of the drawing, numeral 1%designates a weaving machine having a heddle frame 11 supported by anelement 12 which is reciprocatingly movable in a vertical guide 15 andactuated by an angle lever 13 to which it is connected by a link 14. Thelever 13 is connected by a linkage 16 to an actuating lever 17 formingpart of a dobby l8 and connected by a link 119 to a rocking lever 21.The solid lines show the heddle frame actuating mechanism in lower shedposition. The broken line representation of the lever 17 shows this partin position corresponding to the upper shed position of the heddleframe.

Numeral 22 designates a shaft which is driven by the main shaft of theweaving machine it) at the same speed as the main shaft of the loom. Ashaft 24- is connected to the shaft 22 by means of a chain 23 and isdriven at half the speed of the shaft 22. The shaft 24 drives a liftingmechanism, usually comprising reciprocating lifter rails with whichlifting blades are selectively engaged by a control mechanism, whichwill be described later, in response to the apertures in a pattern card.The lifting blades actuate the rocking levers 21 either directly orindirectly. A suitable heddle frame lifting mechanism is disclosed in mycopending application Serial No. 86; 492, filed on the same day as thepresent application. A rocking lever 21 is provided for each heddleframe of the weaving machine.

A sprocket wheel 25 mounted on the shaft 24 drives, by means of a chain,a sprocket wheel 26 which actuates a mechanism for rotating and forlifting and lowering a pattern card cylinder 27.

The pattern card reading device shown in FIG. 2 comprises the cardcylinder 2'7 and reading needles or pegs 28 which are vertically movablein a guide bar 29 mounted on the frame 31 of the pattern-cand-controlleddobby 18 for scanning the apertures in a pattern card 32 (FIG. 3). Thecard cylinder may be rotated for advancing the pattern card when thecylinder is in the lower position shown by a broken line 0. FIG. 2 showsthe card cylinder 27 in an intermediate position between an extreme lowposition 0 and an extreme upper position a. FIG. 2 shows a needle 28resting on an unper-forated portion of the pattern card. When the cardcylinder is in the position b the pattern card is adjacent to the lowerends 33 of the needles '28 when the latter have dropped to theirlowermost position.

The upper end of each needle 28 is provided with a head 34 on whichrests the end of a control rod 35. The latter are adapted to beselectively engaged and reciprocatingly moved by control rails 36, 37for swinging a control lever 38 on a stationary fulcrum 39 to its endpositions. The lever is connected by links 41 and 42 to lifting blades,not shown, in the manner shown in my copen'ding application Serial No.86,492, filed on the same day as the present application. Depending onwhether the lever 38 is in the right extreme position shown in FIG. 2 orin the left extreme position, the lifting blade connected to the link 41or the lifting blade connected to the link 42 is engaged by a litterrail (not shown).

if a needle 28 meets with a hole in the pattern card 32 the needle dropsin the guide 29 until the head 3 of the needle rests on the guidewhereby the control rod 35 assumes its lowermost position a and isengaged by the actuating rail 36. If the needle end 33 is opposite anunperforated portion of the pattern card and the card cylinder is liftedfrom the position 0 to the position a, the needle 28 is lifted in theguide 29 whereby the control rod 35 resting on the head 34 of the needleis moved to the upper position e wherein it can be engaged by theactuating rail 37. The rails 36 and 37 are shown in their middlepositions in FIG. 2. They are reciprocatingly moved in oppositedirection by a mechanism, not shown, and disclosed in my copendingapplication Serial No. 86,492 of the same date as the presentapplication. The rail 37 moves consecutively in the directions shown byarrows 4 and the rail 36 moves consecutively in the directions shown by:arrows 43.

The mechanism shown in FIG. 3 for rotating the card cylinder 27comprises a shaft 47 which is rotatably mounted in the frame 31 of thedobby 18 and to which a wheel 48 carrying a pin 49 is rigidly connected.The sprocket wheel 26 is rotatable and axially movable on the shaft 47.The pin 49 is adapted to be received in gaps 51 between teeth of a wheel52 which is rotatable on a shaft 53 mounted on the frame 31. A gear 54engaging a gear 55 is rigidly connected to the gear 52.

The gear 55 is rotatable on a shaft 56 rotatably mounted on the frame31. Two support arms '57 are fast on the shaft 56. The free ends of thearms 57 carry a rod 58 supporting the card cylinder 27. A gear 59 drivenby the gear 55 through gears 61 rotatably mounted on at least one of the.arms 57 is coaxially connected to the card cylinder.

A point 62 at the lower end of a locking pin 63 guided for verticalmovement by a guide 64 mounted to the frame 31 and urged to movedownward by a spring 65 fits into the gaps between the teeth of the gear59.

A gear 66 is made fast on the shaft 47 and drives a gear 68 through agear 67 in the direction indicated by an arrow in FIG. 3. The gear 68 isprovided with a groove 69 receiving a roller 71 mounted on a rod 72. Thelatter is guided for substantially vertical movement by a guide 73mounted to or forming part of the frame of the dobby. The upper end ofthe rod 72 is pivotally connected at 74 to the arm 57.

A locking lever 76 swingable on the shaft 56 has an arm whose endcarries a locking roller 75 adapted to engage the gaps 51 between theteeth of the gear 52. The lever 76 is urged to swing clockwise by meansof a spring 77 interposed between the end of a second arm of the lever76 which second arm is placed at an angle to the first arm, and anabutment 7s mounted on the arm 57.

FIG. 4 shows a section of the mechanism shown in FIG. 3 in rolled outrepresentation showing the lateral relative position of theaforedescribed elements. A clutch is interposed between the sprocketwheel 26 and the wheel 43. The wheel 26 is freely rotatable on the shaft47 to the right end of which a hand wheel 81 is mounted. A spring 80interposed between the hand wheel 81 and the sprocket wheel 26 pressesthe latter against pins 52 mounted on the wheel 48 and having conicalheads fitting into conical cavities 83 in the sprocket wheel 26.

Operation of the device is now explained with reference to the diagramFIG. 5.

The abscissa in the diagram FIG. represents the angular positions of themain shaft of the weaving machine 10. The ordinates represent thestrokes of individual elements of the system. Lines A and B representthe movements of two heddle frames. Since a weft thread is inserted inthe shed formed by warp threads during each revolution of the main loomshaft, certain heddle frames are in the upper shed position during onerevolution and are in the lower shed position during another revolutionof the loom shaft, depending on the 4. weave pattern. The drive s aft 24of the dobby rotates at one half of the speed of the loom shaft and thelifter rails actuating the heddle frames make one stroke in onedirection and one stroke in the opposite direction during tworevolutions of the drive shaft of the weaving machine. Since there aretwo lifter rails, if the rails move in the same direction, and sincethere are two lifting blades for each heddle frame, the lifting bladesmay be so moved to be engaged by the lifter rails that each heddle framemay be moved according to the line A or according to the line B, whetherthe lifter rails move in one direction or in the opposite direction.

The pattern card 32 is provided with a row of holes for each shuttlepick and is usually advanced from one row of holes to the next row ofholes. The sprocket wheel 26 has half as many teeth as the sprocketwheel 25 so that the shaft 47 and the wheel 48 rotate at the same speedas the main loom shaft. The wheel 52 is rotated by one tooth pitch andthe pattern card 32 is advanced by one hole row at each passage of thepin 49. Since the tooth pitch of the gear 52 is greater than the spacingbetween the rows of holes in the pattern card and since the diameter ofthe pitch circle of the gear 52 is greater than the diameter of the cardcylinder 27, a corresponding speed reduction must be provided betweenthe gears 54 and 55.

Scanning of a row of holes of the pattern card 32 takes place uponlifting of the card cylinder from the position 0 to the position a (FIG.2). This is illustrated by line F in FIG. 5. At point F the roller 71 inFIG. 3 is in the position f Each needle 28 which is in lowermostposition (FIG. 2) with the head 34 resting on the guide 29 must haveleft the respective hole in the pattern card 32 before the card can beadvanced at point G of the line G in FIG. 5 which represents themovement of the pattern card. Thereupon the pin 49 enters the gap 51* ofthe gear 52 which is advanced by one tooth pitch and fixed in thatposition by the locking roller 75 which has entered a new tooth gap. Thenew position is illustrated by point G in FIG. 5. In the meantime thecard cylinder 27 has reached its lowermost position 0 at F and hasalready been lifted before the pattern card has reached the new positionG The card cylinder 27 must not reach position b in FIG. 2 before thepattern card has reached the position G shown in FIG. 5. When the cardcylinder continues to move upward from the position I] the needles 28enter holes in the pattern card and the advance of the latter must becompleted before this happens.

Since the locking lever 76 arrests the gear 52 the gear 55 is alsoarrested.

When the gear 55 stands still the first gear 61, which is engaged by thegear 55, rolls on the latter upon continued swinging of the lever 57from the position b to the position a. Rotation of the first gear 61 istransmitted through a second and third gear 61 to the gear 59.Therefore, the gear 59 and the card cylinder 27 perform a translatorymovement whereby the row of holes 84 (FIG. 6) at the upper part of thecylinder 27 moves through the same angle as the axis 58 which, in thearrangement shown in FIG. 6, is moved upward to about the extent of theradius of the cylinder 27. Holding the gear 55 for allowing rolling ofthe gear 61 thereon during a swing of the arms 57 effects rotation ofthe card cylinder in a way to compensate for the lateral dislocation ofthe card cylinder caused by the swing of the arms 57. This compensatingeffect is produced by the elements 55, 61 and 75 to 78 which areoperatively connected to the arms 57 and to the card cylinder 27.

During the scanning operation the lower ends 33 of the vertical needles28 enter the holes of the row 84. Because of the aforedescribedcounterclockwise rotation of the cylinder 27 the row of holes 84 is notfarther moved to the right than the axis 58. Upon clockwise swinging ofthe arm 57 from the horizontal position through the angle oz, thecylinder 27 and the vertical radius r extending through the holes 84move counterclockwise through the same angle a. tical. Uponcounterclockwise swinging of the arm 57 from the horizontal positionthrough an angle 5 the cylinder 27 is rotated in clockwise directionthrough the same angle 6 so that the radius r retains its verticalposition.

In the modification of the invention shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 the gear 52is fast on a shaft 85 which is provided with cranks 86 and 87. Supportarms 89 for supporting the card cylinder 23 7 extend from a hollow shaft88 surrounding the middle portion of the shaft 85. The shaft 58 which iskeyed to the card cylinder 27 is provided with cranks 91 and 92 placedoutside of the arms 89 and connected to the cranks 86 and 87,respectively, by connecting rods 94 and 93. The cranks 86 and 87 and thecranks 91 and 92 are set at an angle with respect to each other. Thegear 52 can be arrested by a roller 75 as in the modification shown inFIG. 3.

FIG. 9 shows a further variation of a parallelogram motion arrangement.Numeral95 in FIG. 9 designates a locking pin adapted to be received inthe gaps between the teeth of a'gear 96 connected to the card cylinder27. The pin 95 looks thegear 96 and the cylinder 27 as long as the ends33 of the feelerneedles 28 are in apertures in the cylinder 27. The "pin95 isvertically guided in a guide 97 which is mounted on an arm 98 whichis swingable on the axis 58 of the card cylinder. One end of aconnecting rod 100 is swingably connected to the arm 98 by means of apin 99. The other end of the connecting rod. 100 is pivoted at 101 tothe frame 31 of the dobby. The distance between the pins 99 and 101 isequal to the distance between-the shafts 56 and 58, and the distancebetween the shaft 56 and the pin 101 is equal to the distance betweenthe shaft 58 and the pin 99 so that the gear 96 is moved translatorilyupon swinging of the arm 57 and as long as the point of the pin 95 is ina gap between the teeth of the'gear 96.

The locking pin 95 is provided with an arm which is adapted to engage anabutment 103 connected to the frame 31 of the dobby for pulling the pin95 out of the tooth gaps of the gear 96 and permitting rotation of thecard cylinder 27 when the arm 57 is swung counterclockwise below theposition b, shown in FIG. 2."

Whereas in the mechanism shown in'FIG. 3 a collar on the pin 63 restsonthe guide 64 and prevents the point 62 of the pin 63 to follow thegear-59 when the card cylinder moves'below the position b, shown in FIG.2, so that the cylinder can be rotated, the arm 102 on the pin 95 inFIG. 9 prevents the pin 95 to follow the gear 96 when the card cylindermoves below the position b shown in FIG. 2, so that the cylinder can berotated.

I claim: 4 e 1 1. A pattern card mechanism for a dobby for selectivelyactuating the heddle frames in a weaving machine, said mechanismcomprising'a support arm swingable on a stationary fulcrum, a cardcylinder rotatably mounted on the free end of said support arm, aperforated pattern card laid around said cylinder, vertically movablefeeler needles having a lower end adapted to rest on an unperforatedportion of said pattern card or to penetrate a perforation thereof,drive meansoperatively connected to said Therefore, the radius r remainvercard cylinder toward said needles for permitting scanning of theperforations of said patterncard by said needles,

and compensating means operatively connected to said arm and to saidcard cylinder for rotating the latter in opposite direction to the swingdirection of said support arm and through the same angle;

.2. A pattern card mechanism as defined in claim 1 wherein saidcompensating means includes an element rotatable coaxially of the swingaxis of saidrsupport arm,

locking means operatively connected to said support arm and to 'saidelement for preventing rotation of said element during swinging of saidsupport arm, and means operatively interconnecting said element and saidcard cylinder.

'3. A pattern card mechanism according to claim 2 y I and wherein saidelement has two cranks set at anangle;

cranks rigidly connected to said card cylinder.

- 4. A pattern card mechanism as defined in claiml;

wherein said compensating means includes a gear rotatable coaxially ofthe swing axis of saids'upport arm, locking means operatively connectedto said support arm and to said gear for preventing rotation of saidgear during at least a part of the swingingof said support arm, a

second gear connected to and rotatable with said card cylinder andhaving the same number of teeth as said tfiISt gear, and an odd numberof gears interposed between said first gear and, said second gear.

5. A pattern card mechanism according to claim 4 wherein all said gearsare mounted on said support arm.

6. A pattern card mechanism as defined in claim 1 wherein saidcompensating means includes a swing arm connected to said card cylinder,lock-ing means connected to said swing arm, means connected to said cardcylinder and adapted to beengaged by said locking means'during part ofthe swinging of said support arm, and a connecting rod' having one endpivoted to said swing arm and having a second end swingable on astationary fulcrum,

thedistance between the rotation axis of said card cylinder and thepivot axis of the first end of said connecting rod being equal to thedistance between the fulcrum of said support arm and the fulcrum onwhich said second end of said connecting rod is swingable, and saidsupport arm having the same length as said connecting rod.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

1. A PATTERN CARD MECHANISM FOR A DOBBY FOR SELECTIVELY ACTUATING THEHEDDLE FRAMES IN A WEAVING MACHINE, SAID MECHANISM COMPRISING A SUPPORTARM SWINGABLE ON A STATIONARY FULCRUM, A CARD CYLINDER ROTATABLY MOUNTEDON THE FREE END OF SAID SUPPORT ARM, A PERFORATED PATTERN CARD LAIDAROUND SAID CYLINDER, VERTICALLY MOVABLE FEELER NEEDLES HAVING A LOWEREND ADAPTED TO REST ON AN UNPERFORATED PORTION OF SAID PATTERN CARD ORTO PENETRATE A PERFORATION THEREOF, DRIVE MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TOSAID CARD CYLINDER FOR STEPWISE ROTATION OF SAID CYLINDER AND ADVANCINGSAID PATTERN CARD, MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID DRIVE MEANS FORPERIODICALLY SWINGING SAID SUPPORT ARM TO MOVE SAID CARD CYLINDER OUT OFTHE WAY OF SAID FEELER NEEDLES FOR PERMITTING ROTATION OF THE CARDCYLINDER AND FOR SWINGING SAID SUPPORT ARM TO MOVE SAID CARD CYLINDERTOWARD SAID NEEDLES FOR PERMITTING SCANNING OF THE PERFORATIONS OF SAIDPATTERN CARD BY SAID NEEDLES, AND COMPENSATING MEANS OPERATIVELYCONNECTED TO SAID ARM AND TO SAID CARD CYLINDER FOR ROTATING THE LATTERIN OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO THE SWING DIRECTION OF SAID SUPPORT ARM ANDTHROUGH THE SAME ANGLE.